No immediate plans for Okotoks to increase watering restrictions

OKOTOKS - Okotoks has no immediate plans to follow municipalities like Calgary or Airdire that have recently implemented or increased water restrictions. 

Davey Robertson, water services manager for the Town of Okotoks, said the Town is closely monitoring reservoir levels and can remain in Stage 2 of its outdoor watering schedule for the time being. 

“Given the community's response to Stage 2 water conservation, which we initiated back in June, we're able to remain in Stage 2 at this point in time,” Robertson said. 

However, the situation is considered day-to-day due to hot and dry weather conditions, he said.

“We’re effectively not out of the woods yet." 

Information available on the Town’s website says a move to Stage 3, banning outdoor watering on weekends, would take effect if reservoir levels dip to between 65 and 75 per cent of capacity. 

Currently, Town reservoirs are around 85 to 90 per cent full, he said.

“We'll sort of reassess here on a day-to-day basis,” he said, adding that it’s difficult to say what the outlook is for the Town’s water supply over the coming weeks. 

“It depends on Mother Nature in a lot of ways,” he said. 

Meaningful rainfall between now and the end of summer likely means the Town can remain on Stage 2, while more hot and dry weather might require a move to more stringent watering restrictions, he said. 

The Town's water conservation plan is based around a four-stage outdoor watering schedule, with each stage becoming increasingly cautious, depending on river and reservoir levels.

Stage 1 comes into effect on May 1 each year, and this year Okotoks moved to Stage 2 earlier than it had in the past, due to a dry spring and meagre snowpack, Robertson said.

A positive response from the community following its implementation is a big part of the reason the Town hasn’t moved to higher levels of water conservation, he added.

“We've managed to stay at Stage 2 because of our community's water conservation efforts,” he said. 

Robertson said that when the Town is at Stage 1, peak water usage can be between 12,000 to 13,000 cubic metres per day and after implementing Stage 2, peak usage fell to 10,000 or 11,000 cubic metres per day. 

“That’s a good news story, for sure.” 

Stage 3 prohibits outdoor watering on weekends, and Stage 4 is a complete ban on outdoor watering, although the Town says hand watering would still be allowed using a container or hose to water flowers, vegetable gardens and newly planted trees or shrubs until they are established.